A Broken Avatar (Book 1)
by Aang-asaurus Rex
Summary: A major mistake in battle leaves Aang in an induced coma, follow his slow recovery among all the ups and downs as he juggles his rehabilitation with the rehabilitation of the world rated T due to heavier violence and injuries. Any suggestions and reviews will be greatly appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**_Sneak extract from chapter 3_**  
_  
__Aang slowly got back up. He needed to get away from ******. Too hot. Need air. Need. He dropped to his knees. "Zuko? Can you," he took a sharp breath, "Fuck, can you help... can you help me up?" Aang finished, before taking another sharp pained breath. Toph released her hold on the building which promptly collapsed. Adrenaline wearing off, he trembled as he looked back at ***********, fear-stricken in his eyes as Zuko sprinted towards him._

**_Seem familiar? This chapter is similar to chapters 1 and 2 from the old book._****_  
_****_  
_****_This Aang story is focused on what would happen if M Night Shyamalan never happened and the comics never surfaced, and also what Aaron Ehasz said was somewhat true. I have taken his base plot, removed the Zutara bit and at least making it match TloK which Ehasz' plot didn't. fleshing it out to produce a somewhat decent story. I hope to make at least a 5th book if not a 6th book in the future. The writing style will also be completely different, be prepared for more near-death experiences and more action then the original series boasted due to it being aimed at an older audience._****_  
_****_  
_****_Book 4 - Change_****_  
_****_  
_****_Chapter 1 - Desolation_**

Ba-Sing-Se often had a cooling breeze thanks to its location. It's probably the reason why Aang enjoyed it so much here, kind of like a home away from home. As the Southern Air Temple was on top of a tall mountain, it received sustained high winds so having a constant breeze reminded him of these memories. On a typical day, he could just spend hours sitting peacefully, watching the world go by it helped to calm the turmoil going on inside of him. Guru Pathik used to say that a clear mind was the key to achieving inner peace, however, his mind was anything but peaceful. So much had happened since he was brought out of his deep sleep by Katara nearly a year ago, too much for his young mind to contemplate. His life was already plagued by death, destruction, and pressure. You could only just imagine having the fate of the entire world resting on your shoulders with the almost certain risk of death just around the corner. It is certainly enough to shatter even the most strong-willed person.

"Hey, Aang? Can I talk to you for a second?" Zuko was also a victim to the past few months. The sudden change of power at the top of the fire nation wasn't exactly smooth due to the emergence of the 'New Ozai Society', a group formed to reinstate Ozai back on the throne. It was taking the toll on both of them, they were spending more time keeping the fire nation from falling apart than they did anything else. Zuko, not receiving a reply from Aang, slowly walked forward,  
"Aah Spirits!" Aang cursed, clearly frustrated about being interrupted while meditating. He had grilled multiple messengers and servants over this. He turned around sharply and instantly calmed as he saw who had interrupted him, "Sorry Zuko, did you say something?"  
"I was just asking whether I could have a word with you about something that's been on my mind,"  
"Sure," Aang motioned for Zuko to sit next to him. Zuko obliged. He seemed rather nervous, whatever he was wanting to talk about it was playing on his mind. He sat next to Aang, quietly firebending a small spherical flame in between his hands,  
"I've never really had the chance to properly speak to you about all the stuff that has been going on since the war ended. I feel it has just been burning up inside of me, and I have never found the right time to talk,"  
"It has with me too, it is one of the reasons why I have been completely unable to enter the spirit world since. I so nearly went against everything I lived by, and for a few minutes I had zero control over the avatar state, I think I still struggle to live with it. I have now realized that Avatar Roku and the other avatars lived in a completely different world to me, and while I value their opinions and they are still very helpful, I now know that it should be for the most part me and me only that makes a serious decision like that."

Zuko's tense face finally relaxed, and he lent back and looked upwards. A flock of birds was circling each other, round and round. As he looked closer, it became obvious that the bird in front had a large piece of bread and the rest were desperately trying to steal it. It was a perfect metaphor for what was going on in the world, world leaders still had an extremely large share of the wealth and commodities, Zuko made a mental note of this. "Thanks, Aang, it means a lot. How have you been coping since in general? I've noticed that you haven't been the usually bright and bubbly person you usually are?"  
"I don't know what it is, to be honest. I guess I just look at things from a different angle now. I used to be so naive and oblivious to how serious things were. Even after the fight with Ozai, I hadn't fully grasped what was going on around me, it's only after all these attacks that I've begun to see that it isn't about a fight between good and evil. People often tend to do what they think is right, which isn't always what is best for the world. What I need to do is rather than dictate, I need to guide people's judgment to prevent things before they start. I often feel overwhelmed by it all when I sit down and think about it."  
"I think we both need to just keep ourselves busy, if I sit and dwell on it I don't think I'll get back up! I've got a great idea, I need to go help Iroh out with some of his new tea recipes, maybe it might do us some good if we both go?"  
"How could I say no?"

Meanwhile, Toph had just had enough with her new metal-bending school. She could not understand why nobody seemed to be able to grasp it. If she could invent it while being kidnapped in a metal box surely other people could get it with months of training? She certainly needed a break, maybe if the school was disbanded for a few months or so she could come back with a fresh mind and hopefully things might work. Oh, how I miss flying on Appa, this is so uncomfortable, Toph was traveling back to Ba-Sing-Se and was looking forward to seeing Aang and Zuko again. Compared to her and the two water tribe siblings they had been much busier, reorganizing all of the fire nation colonies was no small task and she missed being able to knock some heads together. She had sent a letter a day before to them complaining about everything and challenged Aang to an earth-bending battle. She missed being able to easily defeat Aang as it is now more of an equal match, even if Aang still resorted to more defensive tactics.

Aang and Zuko were just about to start the second round of tea tasting when a messenger hawk promptly flew into the door, literally. Feeling rather sorry for itself, it hobbled towards Zuko. Aang chuckled as the bird proceeded to sulk its way out of the door. "Great news Aang! Toph is on her way back to Ba-Sing-Se!" Iroh overheard the conversation and smiled broadly. Ever since Iroh and Toph met after Toph abandoned the group after an argument with Katara, the two had grown rather inseparable. Toph shared the same passion for tea as he did and was always suggesting new recipes, something he was very grateful for.

"Aang? I'm probably being paranoid as per usual but there hasn't been a major attack for nearly a month and I have a bad feeling something is going to happen soon,"  
"You are probably right, I've been thinking the same thing. But the worst thing is that we cannot do anything to prepare for it, I just hope we are in the right place at the right time. Unless we suddenly find out more information there is no point in contemplating it further," Their serious conversation was cut off by Iroh, who had a large pot of rather green looking tea.  
"Are you ready for the first round of tea?" Iroh beamed,  
"What do we have first, Uncle?"  
"An unusual blend of dragon flower and mint, I have to say I think this might work!"  
"The aroma is a little off-putting I must say," Aang said cautiously as he poured the greenish liquid down his throat. He thought back the urge to gag and spit it out. Zuko, on the other hand, wasn't as respectful, spraying Aang and the table in a spray of green droplets.  
"No Iroh, that isn't going to work whatsoever!" cried Aang, laughing hysterically. He bent all the droplets of tea, before morphing it into a ball and firing it out of the window.

Toph arrived at their apartment early the next morning. Nearly breaking down the door, she screamed "Twinkletoes! Firelord Hotmen! Wake up and let's go!" Within minutes she had both of them, still half asleep, in front of the house. "Let's go for a walk, shall we? We have a lot of catching up to do!"  
"Can't you give us just 5 minutes to fully wake up?" Yawned Zuko,  
"Without us two girls around you two have got lazy, let's go!"

They decided to take a long walk across the palace gardens, Toph had spent the past 15 minutes complaining about how boring her life was in the past six months, and was wishing she could do what they were doing constantly, "Trust me, you don't want to. You have no idea how hard it is to have a diplomatic conversation with..." Aang was cut short by the blaring sound of a tsungi horn off in the distance, Toph instinctively dropped to the floor, touching the ground with her left hand. She could see multiple people running towards them from all angles, "IT'S AN AMBUSH!" Toph yelled...

Aang and Zuko turned around to form a defensive circle. There was no time to find a better spot to defend, they were in a dip in the garden so they could not see their assailants. For about 10 seconds nothing happened, only the sound of each other's adrenaline-fueled heavy breathing. Then, 12 hooded figures, 4 on each of the 3 sides jumped over the horizon in a combination of water and firebending. They all hesitated briefly, taken aback by the presence of the waterbenders. Until now, all of the New Ozai forces they had faced had been firebenders. Aang scrambled to form a makeshift shield as the first round of fire was flung their away, allowing the 3 to gather their bearings and develop a strategy to attack. Toph was the first to make a move, with a rather unusual war cry, catapulting 3 of the benders on her side at least 20 meters into the air. The waterbenders were quick to react, catching their fall using the nearby fountain despite Zuko's attempts to counteract. Zuko then sent out a wave of fire at about knee height, the water benders simultaneously counteracted with their waves of water.

Leaving the avatar state as a last resort, Aang yet again had to block a simultaneous blast from most of the benders. The assailants were trying to take Aang out before he did this. However, as obvious as it was that he needed, Aang still did not enter it, which proved to be a bad decision. The fire was suddenly redirected to an unaware Toph. Aang saw this and leaped in front of her, deflecting the majority of the fireball backward, while absorbing the rest. He didn't have time to react to the pain as another jet of fire was blasted his way. His body, sensing imminent danger to life, jumped into the avatar state. Knowing Aang would do this, a flanking firebender fired an explosive volley in Aang's direction, who was facing the opposite way and transitioning. This time, the full force of the explosion hit Aang, sending him flying forwards into the steep hill. Zuko and Toph could only look on as Aang was blasted straight into the path of a water-bender, who sent shards of ice flying into him. Zuko and Toph followed this moment of concentration on Aang by knocking out an impressive 4 benders in a collaborative effort, Toph sent all 4 of them flying into the air into the path of Zuko's angry inferno.

Seeing this extreme show of force, the remaining benders could see their relatively imminent defeat. One bender who had flanked unnoticed fired a rather dangerous gust of high-pressure water towards Aang. However, Aang quickly sensed this and redirected the waterjet into a gigantic cloud of spray, visible right across Ba-Sing-Se. Multiple Tsungi horns sounded off in the distance, alerting forces in the city to the ongoing battle. Aang, in an unusual spout of lack of control, lifted a large boulder, before breaking it into small pellets and firing it down onto the benders, who by now were retreating hastily.

Aang knew he had been badly injured but couldn't yet feel the effects. As he let go of his control of the avatar state, he felt himself starting to blackout. The last thing he heard was Toph earth-bending to break his fall.

**_AUTHORS NOTE: For those of you who are squeamish skip past these next two paragraphs._****_  
_**  
Apart from a few cuts, bruises and burns, Zuko and Toph were relatively unharmed thanks to Aang. The same couldn't be said for Aang however. The first explosion left extensive cuts on his back. Whatever skin that was left on his back was blackened and shredded. Ice shards had also struck Aang's front, resulting in deep cuts that were bleeding rather rapidly out onto the ground. He came out of the avatar state unconscious, which was probably for the better. The Dai Li that were signaled by the Tsungi horn's burst onto the scene, surprised to find that the fight was over. Small fires had broken out across the palace garden and Toph had completely ripped up the majority of the surrounding area.

Aang was beginning to regain some consciousness, he was lying in a shallow puddle, which later became obvious it was out of his blood rather than water. He could barely see or hear anything; the majority of his senses were blocked by the searing pain shooting around his body. Raising his hand, he managed to pull some water out of the nearest fountain and sent it crashing out over him. The last thing he remembered before passing out again was the hands of about 4 Dai Li agents lift him to carry him away.

"Morning Pakku!" Katara called out to the new member of the family, she had just been out. Appa heard Katara's voice from his stable behind the house and roared in appreciation.  
"Good morning Katara," Pakku called back as he walked down the stairs.  
"Is Gran-Gran feeling better today?" Gran-Gran's poor health was the reason why Katara and Sokka were down in the Southern Water Tribe. She was getting old and she needed to be cared for. Pakku was often helping out their father, Chief Hakoda, with the day to day affairs that a rapidly expanding village entailed, Leaving Katara and Sokka to care for her mostly on their own.  
"I think she is over the worst of this illness now, I think she is going to make tonight's dinner!"  
Sokka's ears pricked at the sound of food, "Ooh, that would be awesome!"

News quickly spread about the gigantic battle in Ba-Sing-Se. The next morning Katara and Sokka were eating breakfast when Chief Hakoda ran into the house out of breath,  
"Dad? You're never home at this time, what's wrong?" Sokka inquired,  
"Pack your bags and come immediately! No time to explain!"  
As they ran for the Dock, Hakoda had explained further. "From what I know, Aang, Toph and Zuko were attacked by a large group of the New Ozai Society, while they were victorious Aang was badly injured,"  
"But what about Gran-Gran?" Sokka asked  
"Forget her, we can care for her, Aang needs you much more... Katara? You alright?" Katara had blanked out what her dad was saying. The last time he got hurt he was killed! I was there for him last time but what about now? Sensing the reason for Katara's lack of reply he carried on," thanks to Aang, Zuko and Toph were mostly unharmed."  
Katara and Sokka jumped into the boat. De-mooring the boat Hakoda called out "Don't rush to come back! And write often!".  
Katara began waterbending behind the boat, increasing their speed rapidly as they left the harbor.


	2. Chapter 2

**_In this chapter, I am going to be covering things that can be considered sensitive. If you are struggling with mental health please remember that help is out there, don't drown in your own emotions alone. Also, just to clarify, A coma is when someone falls into an unconscious state after a serious injury that often involves a specific brain injury. They can sometimes hear and feel things and tend to wake up gradually so maybe more responsive as time goes on. For those who make it through, it can be pretty traumatizing._****_  
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_****_Book 4 - Changes_****_  
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_****_Chapter 2 - Insanity_****_  
_**  
Aang had been rushed into the hospital that Katara helped set up last year. The need to operate was urgent to alleviate pressure on his brain, to minimize further injury and possible brain damage, they put Aang in a medically induced coma. The morning after a rather solemn-looking Toph and Zuko shuffled into the bare medical room. Zuko was quite heavily bandaged up and Toph was using some kind of makeshift walking stick. Seeing their arrival, the head nurse smiled and walked towards them, "Morning! Are you two feeling a little bit better today?" Neither responded, both too fixated on the near-lifeless body on the bed. Sensing this, the nurse reassured them "The good news is that he will be fine. The surgery was successful and he should hopefully make a relatively full recovery,"  
"Relatively?" Zuko questioned,  
"Yes, we won't know for a while but, likely, things won't be completely normal. He may have brain damage and other possibly life-changing injuries,"  
"How long will it take for him to wake up?" Zuko's voice was monotone and emotionless,  
"We can't know, anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, possibly months. He is a strong kid, I doubt he will need longer to recover." All 3 of them continued to glare at the bed. Aang had various tubes running in and out of him, the life support machine doing its job. Braking the solemn silence, she continued, "While Aang won't be able to respond to you in any way, he may be able to hear you. I would suggest that you set up a rota and at least one of you are with him at all times, he will need you more than ever."

He always wondered how someone could go insane. _It was pretty obvious now, being mostly alone with just your thoughts for only a day was enough._ He had already been told that he was in a coma, she said something about not knowing whether he could hear her, it was so frustrating that he could not respond at all. He had already attempted to replay everything that happened. He remembered walking down the Palace garden with Toph and Zuko, _and then what? AND THEN WHAT? ARRGH!_ The argument in his head was interrupted by a familiar voice, however. "Hey, Twinkletoes! Wake up already, anyways the nurse wanted me to let you know that Katara and Sokka should be here today, so expect the sugar queen to go all soppy over you," _Oh if only I could get her back for that, just wait till Katara hears that!_

The hours went by as if each of them were a day on their own, Toph certainly wasn't the supportive type, she seemed to spend more of the time with him complaining about her injuries than anything else! So, when it came to them switching over he was delighted. As per usual, however, Zuko went down the guilt route, "I'm so, so sorry Aang, if only I paid more attention the fight as a whole rather than being selfish and only looking out for myself," Aang could tell he was on the verge of tears, _how bad must I look! Surely, I don't look that bad!_ Zuko quickly returned to his usual self however, giving what seemed to be an hour-by-hour report of everything that was going on across the 3 nations. Eventually, Zuko was interrupted by the door opening rather rapidly, two sets of footsteps ran in, something was wrong however as the two people he could only assume were Katara and Sokka stood stone still.

Aang was still wearing his Airbender garments, or whatever was left of it. Rather it was 1/3rd bloody bandages, 1/3rd bare skin and the rest blackened and singed clothing. The Head nurse noticed the mortified Katara and walked briskly towards them explaining that he was going to fine. Katara couldn't hear this, however. Tears flowing down her face, she turned and fled out the door. Despite the nurse's calls, Zuko chased after while Sokka remained stunned. This greatly affected Aang, who could only hear what was going on.

As soon as Katara stopped to process everything, she realized the implications of what she did. _Aang must have known what just went on, he needs me the most and I just turned and ran? What was I thinking?!_ She knew what she needed to do but she couldn't just walk back in and expect everything to be normal? It was at this point that Zuko rushed around the corner. Before he could say anything, Katara explained: "I'm fine now Zuko, I just got overwhelmed by it all, trust me I'm fine now."

"We need to go back, if Aang can hear what is going on which is quite possible, he would have no clue as to why you ran. He doesn't know what state he is in visually or anything like that does he, and he needs to hear you."

Upon hearing this, Katara broke into tears again. "You heard what the nurse said, he should pull through, he will be fine he just needs us now more than ever, comes on let's head back..."

When Aang heard the door open again, he knew who had come back in. Through all the turmoil going on inside him, one single soothing voice broke through it all, "Hey Aang, it's me," Her voice sounded so shaky and unsure, something Aang had never heard before. Aang expected something more, he could only assume by the sound of her heavy breathing that she was close to his face, yet she said nothing._ How much he yearned to feel her touch, to see her beautiful body, or see or feel anything!__  
_  
However as time went on much to Aang's surprise, he could slowly start to get his feeling back in the tips of his feet and hands which slowly, day by day, extended further and further, it was a godsend. While Katara and the rest didn't know it, it was a clear sign he was starting to recover. This was further enhanced when the nurse came back in and ushered Katara to go outside with her,

"Katara, can I suggest something?"

"Sure?"

"As time goes on, he will start to be able to use more senses such as touch, which will start in his extremities such as his hands and feet. This may seem weird but stimulating his senses **_(I researched this, it is true)_** will aid his recovery. May I suggest a foot massage or something like that?"

Both of them entered back into the room, he didn't like it when they have discussions without him in the room, he liked to know what is going on, "Sorry about that Aang, according to the nurse you should hopefully start to get some feeling back in your hands and feet. I just wanted to try something," using the water from her pouch, she surrounded both of his feet with water and massaged them carefully. While he couldn't feel it fully, after all, he was only just starting to get his feeling back, it was extremely stimulating and relaxing, something he hadn't felt in weeks.

Their intimate session was interrupted however by an over-excited Zuko bursting into the room, "Guess what Aang! Earth kingdom forces have just captured the leader of the New-Ozai forces! He is due to stand to try in Ba-Sing-Se in 3 weeks so depending on how quickly you recover we should be able to make it. Oh," he realized by Katara's stern expression that he wasn't welcome, "I see, sorry for interrupting, I'll talk to you about it later eh?" This was of great relief to everyone, they all knew that for the next few months Aang was going to be extremely vulnerable, having their leader taken out means that their capacity to launch another attack will be greatly diminished. Zuko apologized again and backed out the door in a rather sheepish manner. Katara got up and locked the door temporarily. No offense to Aang, but he stank, he hadn't been washed since he arrived. The nurse had already left a fresh change of hospital clothes so it was just easier to cut the remainder of his clothes off, leaving his boxers on. Katara had let him know what she was going to do but he couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable and embarrassed. However, the stimulation caused by doing this made him feel so much better. Katara was just putting the Hospital robe onto Aang when the nurse knocked rather furiously on the door. "Open this door NOW!" Katara knew that nurses and doctors needed to have access to the patients at all times so she knew she was in the wrong by locking the door. "Sorry miss, but I was giving Aang a wash-down and I imagined he would have wanted at least some privacy!"

"Even so you must ask for permission first! You could have caused significant harm if you were not careful!"

"I'm sorry for not checking, now can we please keep the noise down for his sake?"

Aang continued to improve over the next few days. It helped the rest of them cope, knowing that what they were doing was aiding in Aang's improvement. Spirits were starting to run high as it became clear that Aang was probably not going to have any long-lasting effects. He was able to lightly move his hands and feet making him able to gently squeeze Katara's hand.

However, it was a full 11 days later when he could just barely open his eyes. It was like his eyelids were made of lead, it was extremely tiring to open them. He still was relatively unable to talk however, only managing a various degree of grunts and hums. It was another 2 days before he was also able to move the majority of his body, although lacking energy to sit up or move extensively. He was also to talk relatively normally, albeit a bit mumbled.

It was at this point that they collectively decided that Aang could move out of the hospital, albeit only in a wheelchair. A massive crowd was waiting for him when they exited the hospital. The cheers faded slightly when they left the building, noticing Aang's still poor health.

Things certainly weren't going to get easier, however. Aang had plenty to catch up on and the vast majority of the world hadn't seen Aang for nearly a month. The earth king was quick to organize a speech in front of the Ba-Sing-Se lower ring only a matter of hours after he left the hospital. As much as Katara complained, Earth King Kuei insisted that Aang needed to get re-involved with global matters.

They were the last to arrive for the speech. Everything was all set up, there was a pedestal with the banners of all 4 nations set up on top of a makeshift stage in front of a roaring crowd. Earth King Kuei was the first to take to the stage, albeit to a rather mixed reaction. After all, he was partially responsible for the recent Dai Li crackdown. His speech was short and sweet however, most people were here to see the avatar, not him.

They got Zuko to wheel Aang out onto the stage considering he was also due to give a speech. The usual screaming and jeering when he usually stepped in front of an audience were quickly replaced by a rather uneasy silence. While the crowd was not expecting Aang to be in perfect health, they were taken aback to see the most powerful being in the world slumped in a wheelchair. Zuko wheeled him up to the pedestal, and with a little help from Zuko, stood up to the podium.

"You will have to bear with me, I'm not exactly in the fittest of states," a small contingent of the crowd laughed at the half-hearted joke, "It is clear to me now that none of us are out of the woods yet, There are people among us who don't like the idea of peace. There are people among us who don't like to live in harmony. There are people among us who want to turn the world back into a state of anarchy. We must not let them! We must unite as one, just like the Order of the White Lotus, we must unite in a common interest to bring peace and balance to this world!" Although Aang's delivery was a bit monotone and muffled, his words transformed the crowd. He had to wait a few minutes for the crowd to die down for him to carry on speaking. He continued rambling on about plans and how the brave earth-benders apprehended the mastermind behind the attack. It became clear however that Aang had bitten off more than he could chew, He grew increasingly tired as the lengthy speech continued. After all, he was supposed to be in a wheelchair for a reason. Towards the end of the speech, he found himself on more than one occasion having to pause for a few seconds to regather his breath and strength and had to put the majority of his body weight onto the pedestal. It came to a point when he knew he couldn't continue much longer. "Sorry everyone, I'm going to hand over the rest of my speech to Fire Lord Zuko, I can't stand any longer," And with that, he slumped back into the wheelchair and ushered Katara to come onto the stage and wheel him away.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Apologies for the long delay, so much research has gone into this chapter, in particular, plenty of IRL things always get in the way._****_  
_****_  
_****_Chapter 3 - Fanning the Flames_**

Another week had passed since Aang had been released from the hospital and they had all decided that retreating to the Northern Air Temple after the trial was going to be a good idea, the hospital had agreed to send doctors and nurses with them. Aang needed plenty of time to recover, and the constant disruption caused by people in Ba-Sing-Se certainly wasn't helping. While his physical injuries were on their way to recovery, he hadn't recovered mentally to the same extent.

_He was walking through the center of the cornfield, feeling the heads as he strolled along. The sky was of a bright blue, small clouds whirled around in the morning breeze as the sun arced across the sky. Hundreds of birds were chirping into a pleasant song and a dozen flying bison circled overhead, their young chasing after them. Katara must have caught up as he felt her hand touch his shoulder, Aang responded by placing his hand on top. Her hand felt unusually cold and clammy, he slowed down and turned around to find out who was touching his shoulder. The figure bent his arm backward as he yelled in blinding pain. Vision growing blurry, Aang tried to air bend a gap between them, however, the figure quickly jabbed his chi points, paralyzing him as he fell to the ground. Before he managed to grab a breath, he was slammed into the wall and encased in stone. Helpless, he screamed for help, but all that came out was a stifled cry. The figure slowly walked up to him, never showing his face…__  
_  
Katara woke up to the stifled moans of Aang who was sleeping next to her. His skin was clammy and his chest heaving, realizing that he must be having a bad nightmare, she shook his shoulder, hoping he'd wake up…

_The figure continued to approach, spinning a knife in his right hand as Aang's vision closed inwards. Completely paralyzed, the only thing he could feel was the blood and adrenaline pumping through his body. Pushing the knife gently against his throat, the figure said with no emotion, "The avatar is no more"._ Just as the knife pierced his skin Aang burst back into reality with a blood-curdling yell. It was probably enough to wake up every animal on the island, even Sokka bolted upright with his boomerang in hand in the other room. Aang was shaking and hyperventilating uncontrollably and despite Katara's best efforts, he was refusing to calm down. "Aang! You need to breathe! Listen to me, you need to calm down!" Finally, Aang's breathing began to slow as Katara hugged him tightly "Shh, it's OK, it's OK… Whatever it was it's gone, you're safe," Katara was perplexed_, Aang had nightmares and visions all the time, but he never responded like that before!_

It had them all concerned, with the trial already ongoing with the final sentencing only in a couple of days they all needed to be strong. It didn't help either that Aang couldn't remember much and was therefore little use in the trial itself.

Aang is also having to have regular rehabilitation sessions, he still had an almost complete inability to walk and due to not moving for so long most of his muscles had wasted considerably, and his usually toned appearance was replaced with an aged look. Each session was exhausting and they were having to plan regular breaks for naps throughout the day. Public speaking was also an issue, it wasn't just that he was very self-conscious, he was struggling to communicate in general, this only worsened when he was asked questions without first preparing for them. They were all having to greatly change their lifestyles to suit all these new limitations.

Aang was still visibly shaken from earlier. He was slouched in his wheelchair, staring out the window with glazed-over eyes. With his approval, the rest of them were covering most of his duties leaving the most important stuff to him, this, however, had the side effect of leaving him mostly alone during the day. It became increasingly difficult for any of them to be around especially for his rehabilitation sessions.

He had just finished one of these sessions intact, just focusing on slowly building his leg muscles back up to better cope holding him up. He was aware that crime was picking up in the city, too many times in the night he was woken up by something going on, he came to just ignore the occasional commotion going on outside and tonight was no different. The rest of them had gone out for a few hours, once again leaving Aang alone to continue staring out his window.

A slight unsettling feeling began to rise inside of him like someone was trying to tell him about something. He couldn't use his seismic sense to look around. He could just about smell something. It smells familiar but he just couldn't remember. It was also starting to get unusually warm, like if the sun was beating down even though it's dark. This weird fog was traveling up the stairs and into the lights lit up the corridor in some kind of light show. He could feel his throat and chest start to become irritated and an urge to cough grew. He wheeled himself towards the stairway to see what was going on and it was only then he realized what was happening...

Sokka suggested that people will take advantage of a vulnerable avatar, so they moved to a random derelict apartment in the upper ring and attempted to remain undetected. That way they didn't have to worry so much about safety and security, it was this idea that proved to be their downfall. Aang wheeled hastily back over to the window, he needed a water source quickly. There was a fountain pretty close by, easy enough for Aang to pull over. Raising his arms and concentrating hard, the water began to rise from the fountain, the water morphed into a ball, and just floated there. Aang was using every inch of his energy to try and pull this water over but after about 5 seconds it collapses back into the fountain. Defeated, Aang spun around to the rest of the room. The fire at this point was out of control, it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.

The wheelchair at this point was of little use so he climbed out onto the wooden floor. Using the nearby rug as leverage half dragged, half crawled towards the door. As he reached up for the metal doorknob he didn't recognize it was glowing hot and that the glow of the fire was all around the edges of the door. His critical thinking was still largely impaired. He grasped onto the doorknob to help pull him up, searing pain shot through his arm and across his shoulder. He let out a yell as he let go and fell back to the ground. The smoke in his lungs however allowed only a stifled croaky shriek to come out. Finally noticing the glow around the door, he scrambled backward, now only able to use one hand to pull himself along. He then attempted to fire bend the fire through the crack in the door but to little effect.

Not having the strength to tap into the avatar state he went for the only other option available, the window. The only problem was getting through it. Nobody had come for help and he was slowly being overcome by smoke. In a last-ditch attempt, he tapped into his energy to pull himself up against the ledge of the window. He knew he couldn't raise his legs that far whatsoever, he did, however, notice that there was a small roof covering the porch underneath. As the window was just below his waist he leaned forward with enough force that he was now halfway outside. It was only now that he realized the shingles of the roof were out of reach. As a last resort, he desperately tried to wiggle out and push with his one good hand to little success, which now left him unable to get back inside. At this point the fire had started to breach the door and enter into the room making his situation look even more perilous, at least out here he had clean air.

Zuko was strolling down the street parallel to theirs when he saw the plume of smoke rising to the sky, expecting some firebending going on he rushed to the area. As he crossed onto the same street he could see someone dangling out of one of the apartment windows with the apartment itself completely ablaze. Zuko didn't realize it was the barely conscious Aang dangling, nonetheless, he ran to the front door and swung it open. The fire downstairs which was being relatively starved of oxygen suddenly had plenty of it and Zuko was flung back in an explosion of fire.

Aang was now in much greater danger, Zuko's misjudgment badly compromised the building structure and time is starting to run out and it was only now that he realized who was dangling out of the window. The best he could do at this point was to control the fire rather than fight it.

It had completely grown out of control at this point. The fire was even coming out of the various openings of the building like it was a fire-breathing dragon. Flames licked up outside, desperate to fund something else to incinerate, before disappearing like a candle in the wind. The ground then began to shake as the entire left side of the roof collapsed inwards, the walls unable to take the weight any longer.

Toph was in a meeting with some industry executives halfway across the upper ring when she felt the rumble. Excusing herself, she ran outside. She couldn't detect exactly where it was as it was so distant, but she at least knew the direction to run in.

Another large part of the building collapsed as the wooden walls splintered. The entire left-hand side of the house was mostly reduced to ash and rubble. This however allowed Toph to pinpoint the location, realizing whose apartment it probably was she raced ahead.

She arrived to find an exhausted Zuko desperately trying to control a fire which was slowly starting to die out. By keeping the fire from engulfing the room Aang was in, the fire turned its attention to other places. It had completely engulfed underneath and obvious cracks were starting to form throughout the various supports to the room.

Concentration etched across her face she collapsed the window underneath Aang who was greatly relieved to no longer be dangling. She next tried to hold up the building which was just starting to collapse again. She knew she couldn't hold it, the very thing she was holding was also bending and flexing under the heat.

Despite the risk, Aang did the only thing he could. He could feel everything crumbling beneath him. He could feel the flooring starting to burn up. He could feel himself slipping away under all the smoke. Pulling himself along the floor with his one good hand, he glanced over the edge. With a stifled yelp, he pushed as hard as he could with his feet and hands over the edge. Without bending, he dropped like a rock back first onto the pavement with a heavy thud.

Aang slowly got back up. He needed to get away from the fire. Too hot. Need air. Need. He dropped to his knees. "Zuko? Can you," he took a sharp breath, "Fuck, can you help... can you help me up?" Aang finished, before taking another sharp pained breath. Toph released her hold on the building which promptly collapsed. Adrenaline wearing off, he trembled as he looked back at the burning building, fear-stricken in his eyes as Zuko sprinted towards him. You probably should move, his head told him, Move, he stared intently at the flames licking up the same wall twice. MOVE! The fire once again had a sudden surplus of oxygen, and it exploded outwards in a fireball. Zuko was quick to react, directing the blast upwards into the sky. Aang looked down towards the ground, two different pairs of hands glared back, "We need to get you to the hospital," "No! I'm not going back," another sharp winded breath, "Not happening!" "I don't think you have a choice Aang, you need to be checked out, and that hand doesn't look too good..." "IT ISN'T HAPPENING!" Zuko was right, the burn on Aang's hand was severe and his immune system was already weak, the last thing they needed was an infection. "If I have to drag you there while you scream and shout I will, your choice." He opened his mouth to protest, but slumped in defeat, "Can you stand up?" Refusing to accept he was injured, he propped himself up.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Will the plot finally be revealed in this chapter? Will the main villain finally appear? What can he do? Who knows… Things start to get quite spicy, but enough of the foreshadowing…_**

**_Chapter 4 – The Meltdown_**

_He enjoyed watching trees and flowers being knocked around in the breeze. Watching the world go by, untouched by humans. Various birdsongs rung loudly in his ears, blending into an irresistible melody. A sudden disturbance in the wind caused this to mostly cease. Aang opened his eyes, with a plethora of squawks, flocks of birds fled from the treeline. It was as if the temperature suddenly dropped, the wind was picking up to the point that branches started snapping off, crashing to the ground. Thunder growled off in the distance as he stood up cautiously. He could start to feel a headache in the back of his head, that was getting stronger, and stronger, and stronger. He could see someone off in the distance at the other end of the field._

_As he stepped forward, flames started picking up in the blades of grass, the ground began rumbling gently. Now jogging, the flames started to catch, the wind became icy cold and the entire ground began to shake from side to side. Aang picked up the pace even further as he created a path through the now roaring flames. The swirling grass blackened and singed as he approached the hooded figure. His headache turned into a horrific migraine. Aang slowed back down, holding his head in pain. The figure turned around, a wicked grin spread across his face, and with the flick of his wrist, Aang's head exploded into a world of pain. He was held in a vice-like grip, but it wasn't blood bending, it was like he had no control over his body. The ground began to open up beneath him, entire trees were being uprooted by the wind, the entire field was ablaze, apart from the gap between him and the figure. The figure continued to close the gap, as he got closer, the pain got greater, the wind got stronger, the flames got taller._

**_Oh, I lied, more foreshadowing, oh well._**

Aang jolted awake with a sharp gasp for breath, his heart racing for the third night in a row. He must have been making plenty of noise as Katara was clutching him and shouting something, trying to calm himself down. "Aang? What the hell happened!" she asked, eyes wide in fear,

"It's just another nightmare, go back to sleep,"

"This is starting to become a regular thing again, is there anything you need to tell me?" It was rather obvious to her that he was shaken, small beads of sweat had formed on his forehead and his breathing was shallow and rapid,

"Everything is fine, go back to sleep..."

Since the fire, they had moved back into Iroh's tea shop. While the shop itself was relatively small, the living quarters were large enough to accommodate them all without feeling too cramped. Suki had also arrived in the meantime, bringing the total up to 7. Surveillance had been set up around the perimeter, with Aang being so vulnerable they couldn't take any chances, not now. They also had to remove all the handles and locks on each of the doors. While mostly unnecessary, it simply made things easier for Aang, Iroh was sick of seeing him painfully attempt to open the doors while in his wheelchair

He tried as best to fall back asleep but his mind was constantly racing, it couldn't just be a coincidence that he dreamed about the same people three nights in a row, is someone trying to warn me? Figuring it was useless trying to get some sleep, he carefully got out of bed and wobbled rather unstable towards his wheelchair and quietly pushed open the door, wheeling himself outside into the cold.

"I see I'm not the only one struggling to sleep,"

"Huh?" Iroh stepped out from the cover of darkness,

"I think we both have a lot on our minds, don't we?"

"It feels like, before the day of the black sun, I don't even know who I am or what I am supposed to do. I'm supposed to be keeping the balance yet I can't do anything from this stupid wheelchair!"

"Aang you are a good kid, but you need to learn to believe in yourself, at times you are your own worst enemy. By doubting your abilities, you make your life even harder. I may be no guru Aang, but even I can see that you are at war with yourself," Aang opened his mouth to protest but was quickly shut down, "It's not open for discussion. Zuko told me a lot about what has been happening the past few days,"

"But Iroh," He interrupted, "the problem is that I messed up. If I was thinking straight absolutely none of this would have ever happened! I know what my failures are but I can never seem to get the better of them, and for me to do this I must be able to overcome these,"

"Everyone has their failures Aang, it is what makes us human. To be a better person you don't need to overcome your weaknesses, you instead need to use them to your advantage. Look, I can't tell you what you need to do, we both lead very different lives. However, the last thing any of us wants is for you to change into someone you're not,"

"Thanks, Iroh, I mean it,"

"You must be cold Aang, get back to sleep, think over what I said in the morning, I can't sleep not knowing you are all safe."

Aang overslept yet again, much to the dismay of Katara, "Aang will you stop being so lazy!" as she splashed the water from the vase onto him for the second morning in a row. He shrieked and promptly rolled out of bed onto the floor, "That wasn't a great idea," Katara chastised as Aang realized it was practically impossible to stand up whilst sprawled out on the floor. Refusing to admit defeat, he half pulled, half crawled over to his wheelchair. Katara rushed over to help, but he was adamant about moving on his own steam. Putting a shirt on, they both opened the door and was simultaneously hit by a wave of colorful smells. Iroh was a brilliant cook, and when combined with herbal tea it creates an enticing aroma. Eyes bright with the thought of food, Aang did a 360 and wheeled back inside. Putting all the weight as he could on the armrests, he stood up and proceeded to shuffle forward. To walk, he had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other one by one. While extremely tiring, it's something Aang had to do as much as possible.

The other 'zombies' were also gravitating towards the source of the smell, Apart from Toph of course, who was a morning person and was already whizzing around organizing everyone.

"Come on everyone! It's a big day today! Time to get moving already!"

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder," replied Aang coldly as he lowered himself slowly into his chair. Today was finally the day for the sentencing and they were all due to attend,

"It's not as if he hasn't already pleaded guilty? All you've got to do is turn up and watch his sentencing!"

"Toph, you don't understand, I do NOT want to hear a full run-through of what happened again! And who knows what sentence they will get? They could be given the death sentence!"

"Who cares, the world would be a better place without them, plus you're not exactly fit to remove their bending either!"

Iroh jumped in between them with breakfast. Aang, who was about to explode, turned his attention to devouring the food angrily instead.

"So, let's go over the plan for today again, we," Sokka started,

"We've been over the plan 5 times!" Aang muffled with his mouth full of food, attracting a thump across the head from Katara

"I mean you did just do exactly what Aang said not to do, let's just get this over and done with then we can return relative normality. If such a thing exists," Suki jumped in,

"There's never a normal day in team avatar," grumbled Sokka, "What I could do for a nice day on the beach,"

"That's the point! You could do that! We, however, do not have a choice, I have a nation to run, Katara and Aang essentially have the entire world to deal with, but If you wanted, you could, however, I think you would be on your own," Zuko continued Aang's frosty tone.

This had been going on for a while now, the 'family' was fracturing. Although it's not their fault, Sokka, Toph, and Suki often found themselves following the rest with nothing to do. The others couldn't simply offload half their work either. Only Zuko could complete fire nation tasks with the occasional help from Aang when necessary. Even Aang had to take sole responsibility when it came to any diplomacy or international matters. While Iroh was content with house-warming and managing his tea shop, the other three were growing increasingly discontent. Sokka could be back home in the Southern Water Tribe helping out his farther; Suki could be with the Kyoshi Warriors and Toph could be back with her metal bending school; however, under Katara's orders, they remained.

After helping Iroh clear everything away, they all headed out. As Aang hadn't taken his wheelchair they woke up Appa, who upon noticing Aang off in the distance, let out a roar and leaped forward, nearly knocking both Sokka and Suki over. "It's good to see you bud!" They, in fact, hadn't even seen each other since before everything went wrong. Recognizing Aang wasn't physically fit, he stopped short of knocking him to the ground, and instead gave him a light nudge, before covering him in saliva. Drying himself off, they embraced tightly before they all got on. For the first time in what felt like years, Aang triumphantly called "Yip Yip!" Appa roared in response as he soared into the sky.

It was for only a couple of minutes that they were flying in the air, but to most of them, it felt like hours. Both the frosty tension between them all as well as the anxious anticipation of what was to come ensured they all sat in relative silence. The nightmare that morning was still playing on Aang's mind, it was probably best that he told everyone about it, _wait till after the sentencing, _He thought, _let things settle first_.

They landed at the back of the court, huge crowds had gathered witness the sentencing and the sight of Appa sent the crowd into an uproar. Aang was still keen to keep out of the public eye for a while and only agreed to meet with various officials on the condition that it happened behind closed doors. To someone on the outside, it seems unnecessary, but Aang insisted that he did not want his public reputation to be tarnished. Nonetheless, they entered the court and took their seats in the viewing gallery.

Various Dai-li Agents who helped in the aftermath alongside various noblemen were also present. There was a separate viewing gallery on the other side of the court, most of the faces were unrecognizable, Aang assumed them to be relatives of the fighters and kept a watchful eye on them. They were the last to be seated and the sentencing began in earnest.

Aside from Katara and Suki, none of them were paying any interest as to what was being said. Neither Katara, Suki or Sokka knew much about what happened, the others mostly refused to talk about it. They grimaced as the battle was recalled in gruesome detail by various witnesses. After about an hour the final pieces of evidence had been given and it was time for the closing speeches by the respective parties which regained the attention of Aang and the rest. The defending lawyer was scrambling to overturn the evidence, much to the amusement of Aang's representatives. It was to the point where the defense lawyer was contradicting himself multiple times over due to the judges perfectly placed questions. Nonetheless, the tactics by the defendant's lawyer were clear. To anyone viewing, it looked as if Aang was the aggressor. While in self-defense and under the influence of the avatar state, he still had used unnecessary force and he could have just immobilized the attackers rather than dealing in some cases fatal blows. Nonetheless, Aang made his lawyer press that he did not have full control over himself and was relying mostly on his survival instinct. By that point, he was already bleeding profusely and his life, after all, was in severe danger. It was still enough to make the color drain from his face, as the defendants constantly twisted his and his representatives' words.

"Will the Jury please stand. Mr. Foreman, as head of the Jury, would you listen carefully to the one question you are now going to be asked by the Clerk,"

"Have you reached verdicts on all four counts on which at least ten of you are agreed?"

"No."

"I have had you brought back into court because it is now nearly 5.20, and you have been deliberating since, I am told, quarter past ten this morning," the judge mentioned sympathetically, "really the Court is entirely in your hands. You can go off and spend another night in a hotel should you wish to do so. You can continue to deliberate for a little longer, but clearly, it would not be fair on you or indeed anybody in the case if you continued deliberating tonight for much longer because there comes a time when you get just weary and then you are not thinking straight. So, I do not mind at all which you would like to do. You can turn around to talk among yourselves or, if you find it easier, you can go back to your room and discuss it for a moment or two and write a short note saying either Come back tomorrow or We would like to go on, whichever the situation is. Would that be easier?"

"We will go back to our room."

"Let me have a note. I will rise once you have left and we will come back once we have your note."

They all mostly sighed in relief. It had been a long day and while it meant they had to come back tomorrow morning, it at least meant they could go get something to eat and relax. The only ones not happy were on the other side of the viewing gallery who were anxious to know what was to become of the defendants. Nonetheless, they made their way out of the gallery and towards the back entrance. Aang, however, stopped dead in his tracks, eyes shot dead ahead. The person who he was staring at quickly turned away and started to rush down the crowded steps. With a look of determination, Aang also darted forward intent on chasing after, but completely misjudged the steps and tumbled to the ground, nearly knocking over several people in the process like a bowling ball. Helping him up, Sokka questioned him, "Who were you staring at before you tried to chase after?"

"Oh, no I just got distracted and tripped, its nothing." Sokka knew he was lying, but from the look of hurt on his face made him not press any further.

After dealing with the mob that had quickly surrounded Appa, they flew off, again ignoring the attention they got as they flew over the large crowd at the front of the building. After a quick refueling stop by the humble Iroh, they crashed out with exhaustion. Aang didn't even make it upstairs, within minutes he was fast asleep in the armchair.

For the first time in a week, he slept peacefully and woke up wondering why he was still in the armchair. The sheer amount of walking they did yesterday had taken its toll however, his legs had completely stiffened and he decided it was probably better to just sit and wait for someone else to wake up rather than attempt to move any distance.

They were all waking up anyways, and within the hour they were all back downstairs, being treated to another gorgeous breakfast from Iroh, who had grown rather accustomed to being the housekeeper, and insisted that he enjoyed looking after them. Unlike yesterday, it was completely silent, everyone just wanted to get everything done.

They had been in the court for a couple of hours that morning before they broke up for lunch. The jury was expected to give their verdict not long after lunch, and once again the anxiety greatly increased in the gallery.

"Aang, you okay?" Zuko questioned,

"It's not that Zuko, I just feel uneasy and anxious like my body is anticipating something, I've not felt like this since the run-up before… you know,"

"It's probably nothing, stop worrying and relax mate,"

"Yeah I know, but I just can't shake off the feeling." They were interrupted however by the judge rising to his feet.

"Will the defendants please stand,"

"You have both pleaded not guilty to assault, attempted murder and the use of offensive bending with intent within the palace gardens of Ba Sing Se, this is added on to the numerous offenses during your time including conspiracy to cause mass unrest. This was a terrifying and prolonged ordeal for those whom you assaulted, the avatar included. They were in fear that their lives were in severe danger and unsurprisingly, it has had lasting psychological and physical effects for all of them, especially Avatar Aang, whom I must remind you is only nearly 14 years old. A major Dai Li operation had to be implemented to deal with the emergency which you created. The circumstances of the offense were set out clearly in the narrative which was read on the last occasion you appeared and I need not repeat them in detail, for the sake of the victims who are present. Nonetheless, I must present a summary before I deliver mine and the Jury's verdict."

"On the 20th of October, Avatar Aang alongside Zuko and Toph were taking a walk through the palace gardens when they were attacked by a pre-planned, well-organised attack from the defendant's forces. The forces quickly gained the upper hand due to their overwhelming firepower. During the initial period of the battle, Aang suffered multiple life-threatening injuries resulting in the activation of the avatar state. As the avatar state was activated under self-defense, Aang had relatively little control over it and despite his pacifist nature fatally wounded several of the fighters in complete self-defense, before allowing the rest including you two to escape, before crashing to the ground. While only minor injuries were inflicted upon Zuko and Toph, the injuries inflicted on Aang were extremely severe, following multiple operations to relieve the pressure on his brain and to save his life he had to be placed into an induced coma,"

"I now conclude my final statement, would the foreman please stand, members of the jury, have you reached verdicts upon which at least ten of you have agreed on both defendants?"

"We have."

"We will first deal with you Ziro. Mr. Foreman, to my next question, only answer guilty or not guilty: on count 1, Assault of a minor, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty."

"Is that the verdict of you all or by a majority?"

"Of us all."

"On count 2, attempted murder of a minor, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty."

"Is that verdict of you all or by a majority?"

"All but one."

"On count 3, Conspiracy to cause mass unrest, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?

"Not guilty."

"On count 4, bending with intent, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty."

"Is that the verdict of you all or by a majority?"

"Of us all."

"You find the defendant guilty on counts 1, and 4 unanimous, 2 on a majority, and not guilty on count 3?"

"That is correct."

The sentence for your crimes is fixed by law and I must now impose that sentence on both of you. For you Ziro, I sentence you to imprisonment for life. In terms of the punishment part of your sentence, being the period in which you must serve in full in prison to satisfy the requirements of retribution and deterrence, ignoring the need for the protection of the public, before you can apply to be released on license. Having regard to the circumstances of this attempted murder and your previous convictions, I fix that period at 20 years. You must not assume that you will automatically be released at the end of that period: you will be released only when it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that you continue to be confined in prison.

"We will now deal with you, Sako. Mr. Foreman, to my next question, only answer guilty or not guilty: on count 1, mass murder, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty."

"Is that the verdict of you all or by a majority?"

"Of us all."

"On count 2, leading a terrorist organization, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty."

"Is that verdict of you all or by a majority?"

"Of us all."

"On count 3, conspiracy to cause mass unrest, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?

"Guilty."

"Is that verdict of you all or by a majority?"

"Of us all."

"On count 4, bending with intent, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty."

"Is that the verdict of you all or by a majority?"

"Of us all."

"You find the defendant guilty on all counts, is that correct?"

"That is correct.

Sako, you are hereby sentenced to death due to multiple aggravating circumstances and past crimes,"


End file.
